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The Sugar Land Ice & Sports Center conceals a chilly oasis for winter-sports fans to practice and have fun all year long, whether it's the day after Christmas or a steamy 100-degree afternoon in July. Between its two rinks, the center hosts staff-supervised public-skating sessions nearly every day in addition to a wide range of youth and adult hockey events—including practices for the former AHL champion Houston Aeros. Inside Rink A, a spacious seating area and café invites visitors to break from their icy escapades and reenergize with a snack. Also away from the ice, the onsite pro shop sharpens blades and repairs skates so clients can carve their way across rinks and the halls of imposing ice castles.

If you're looking for a rink that has both professional and family-friendly amenities, Skate Central in Stafford is your ideal choice for a good skate.
Parking is plentiful, so guests can feel free to bring their vehicles.

This 12-acre park offers tons of activities year-round. From spring to fall, children play in interactive fountains, local musicians light up the amphitheater, public art exhibits entice the eye, and dog runs fill up with panting tongues. In winter, the park’s one-acre lake transforms into a skating rink that’s open to the public for a small fee.

Memorial City Mall’s chirping cash registers and department-store scanners give way to the scraping of blades against ice inside Ice Skate USA. There, a full-sized rink large enough to host official IHL and NHL games reinvigorates bodies worn from shopping by imparting the freedom and fun of uninhibited speed during open-skate sessions. The rink also keeps a squad of instructors on hand who host hockey academies to sharpen everything from basic skating skills to puck control to discerning between team mascots and roving packs of wolves. Additionally, Ice Skate USA also works to expand the community’s appreciation for ice-bound culture during scheduled events such as The Nutcracker on Ice, with try-outs for the production encouraged for all students, and open to skaters of any skill and age.

This classic roller rink, first opened in 1974, still provides the same wholesome entertainments it did 40 years ago, just with upgraded sound and light systems. The song catalogue features over 3,000 tracks, and pulsing strobe lights make the 11,000-square-foot rink feel a bit like a dance club.

Aerodrome Ice Skating Complex doesn't have a shoe fetish. Its more than 1,000 pairs of rental ice skates serve a purpose: to equip guests for ice-related sports and activities. The two main activities, hockey and figure skating, are available to play or learn during an array of leagues, camps, clinics, and lessons throughout the year. In addition to ice-skating, the complex features a food stand, fitness center, and pro shop where skaters can have their skates sharpened or cut into a really cool saw pattern.

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Who invented ice skating? What’s the ideal temperature for rink ice? When is a Zamboni not a Zamboni? These kinds of questions have been weighing on our minds this winter, so we set out to find the answers. Some of them, it turns out, are even cooler (excuse the pun) than we thought.1. When making ice, hot water is better than cold water.Common sense says that cold water will freeze faster that hot water, but that doesn’t mean it will freeze better. In fact, the ideal temperature for ice-making water—at least in the rink—is between 140°F and 160°F. The hotter the water, the less oxygen it contains, thus making it easier for the molecules to bind together and freeze. (This is also the principle artisanal ice-makers use to achieve perfect clarity in their cubes.)2. Rink ice should never be too cold.Once frozen, rink ice has its own ideal temperature—a sweet spot hovering between 24°F and 26°F. Some rink owners erroneously believe that the colder the ice, the easier it is to skate on, but ice kept lower than 20 degrees actually has a tendency to become brittle and chip. 3. The Zamboni is the Kleenex of ice resurfacers.Although most ice resurfacers are referred to as Zambonis, the name Zamboni technically only covers one trademarked brand. That would be the company founded by Frank J. Zamboni, who invented the first ice resurfacer in 1947. Prior to this, ice was traditionally resurfaced by a tractor dragging a scraper behind it, and the results were as rough as you might imagine. The Zamboni Company is still in business today, and though all of its Zambonis are ice resurfacers, not all ice resurfacers are Zambonis.4. Ice skating became popular because it’s a co-ed sport.Several ice-skating ponds sprang up around New York City in the early 19th century, but these catered almost exclusively to the upper class. Central Park changed that when its first skating pond opened in the winter of 1858. Since the surrounding restaurants already served New Yorkers of all incomes and backgrounds, the pond did the same, transforming the frozen water into a frozen melting pot that reflected the diversity of the city itself. It was also one of the first skating areas open to both men and women. Because young couples could circle the pond unsupervised—and maybe sneak a kiss here and there—ice skating quickly rose to popularity in America.5. The first ice skates were built not for sport, but for survival.You might have heard somewhere that the first ice skates were made from leather straps and animal bone. This is true, but the ancient Scandinavians who crafted them were not interested in leisure. They were in search of a more efficient means of traveling in the winter, and they figured that gliding across ice—even at the relatively slow pace of 5 miles an hour—was faster and conserved more body energy than trudging through the snow. Archaeologists speculate that Finland may have been the birthplace of ice skates, due to the country’s abundance of long, thin lakes that often had to be crossed during hunting trips.Now you know the facts about ice skating. Time for some tips and tricks:Ice Skating’s (Kind Of) Easy Once You Learn to Fall DownFive Ice-Skating Tricks for BeginnersFive Ice-Skating Tips from US Figure-Skating Champion Max Aaron

If you think “trick” refers exclusively to a triple axel or some other visually extravagant feat, think again. Like any other sport, ice skating requires athletes to take baby steps—both literally and figuratively. Before figure skaters can glide, they need to learn how to walk. For this reason, 1996 World Figure Skating Champion and Olympian Todd Eldredge takes a gradual approach to coaching skaters at his own Champions of America academy, held at the Dr. Pepper StarCenter in McKinney, Texas. So it’s no surprise that, when we asked him for five ice-skating tricks for beginners, Eldredge started with a pretty unglamorous example: learning how to fall.FallingFalling down is an inevitable part of ice skating, but there’s a specific way you should do it. According to Eldredge, “You want to fall to the side, never straight forward or straight back. When in doubt, bend your knees and try to fall over to the side.”Walking on IceEverybody has to start somewhere. “The first time I got on the ice,” Eldredge remembers, “I clung to the boards and watched everyone else and said, ‘This is crazy.’” He soon learned to rely on a skill he had already mastered: walking. “Start off with tiny steps on the ice,” he advises, “then graduate to gliding just a little bit.” Once you have that down, you can progress to gliding on two feet, then gliding on one foot.The CrossoverOnce you get a feel for gliding, you can move into crossovers, which help you turn more quickly and efficiently on a circular rink. “If you’re going around the circle in a counter-clockwise direction,” Eldredge explains, “you’re going to take your right foot and cross it over the top of your left foot.” Put your feet together again, then repeat the same motion as you glide around the circle.The Simple SpinSpinning may seem difficult, but it’s actually a pretty simple motion. “Start on two feet and give a little bit of a push, using your arms to rotate,” Eldredge says. Hopefully, this will be enough to get you turned around. Most people prefer to turn counter-clockwise, but Eldredge turns the other direction. “It’s just a personal preference,” he says. As for what you should be doing with your shoulders, picture a quarter spinning on a table. “That’s what you want to do.”The Simple JumpLike the spin, the jump isn’t quite as complex a motion as it seems. “It’s just a full takeoff,” Eldredge explains, “then you step to a backward landing on the other foot.” Of course, all of this is easier said than done, and Eldredge recognizes that even the simplest trick can take some time. “Have patience,” he advises. “It’s a difficult sport to master.” The very best advice he can offer? “Just go out and have fun with it.”Read more winter sports articles:Five Ice-Skating Tips from US Figure-Skating Champion Max AaronFive Snowboarding Tips from Olympic Gold Medalist Kelly ClarkIce Skating’s (Kind Of) Easy Once You Learn to Fall Down

Max Aaron’s career is something of an anomaly. Most ice skaters have to make the tough choice between hockey and figure skating early on, but Aaron arrived at a different conclusion: why not both? A hockey player since the age of 3 and a figure skater since age 9, Aaron has competed extensively in both sports. Only after a back injury in 2008 did he decide to turn his full attention to figure skating, where he went on to become the 2013 US champion and 2014 US bronze medalist. Aaron has spent most of his life in skates, so it’s no wonder that he feels so comfortable on the ice. We asked him for five tips to get amateur skaters moving—and, just as important, stopping—with something resembling grace.Forget What Mom Says—Don’t Stand Up Straight
“Skating is more complicated than people think,” warns Aaron. Many newcomers get the idea that they can simply walk on the ice, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. When we walk, our legs stay straight and our knees lock—a terrible formula for ice skating. Instead of standing up straight, crouch into an athletic stance. Keep your knees bent in order to lower your center of gravity and increase your chances of staying upright. You’ll find your balance better this way, even when attempting more adventurous moves such as the single-leg glide, in which the temptation to straighten out is greater.Wear Layers on Top of Layers
Indoors or out, it’s important to bundle up on the ice. That means hats, gloves, scarves, and even snow pants, depending on the weather. As Aaron puts it, “if you’re warm, you’re staying safe.” If you’re worried about losing your balance under the weight of all those layers, don’t. According to Aaron, “as long as you keep your athletic stance, you’ll be alright.”
It’s Okay if Those Skates Pinch Your Toes
Whether you’re renting skates at the rink or buying a pair, fit is key. With younger skaters, parents often size up to allow kids time to grow into their skates. But when it comes to adults, a loose fit is a big no-no. “You don’t want your toenails falling off,” says Aaron, but you do want a tighter fit than you might be used to.
When Stopping, Imitate a Snowplow
Stopping is the bane of many a beginner skater, but it’s actually not too tricky to learn. “Keep your knees bent and slowly push your feet out,” advises Aaron. “As you start to skid, point your toes in a little bit and keep your heels out, and you’ll slowly come to a complete stop.” This maneuver is known as a “snowplow stop” because the scraping of the blades on the ice will create a spray of snow.
If You Have to Fall, Fall Face First
While you shouldn’t actively try to land on your face, falling on your butt might be a worse option than falling forward. When skaters lean back too far on either blade, they’ll often put their hands behind their backs, resulting in what Aaron calls “the most dangerous thing I’ve seen.” When you fall backwards, you’re more likely to hyperextend your arms. Plus, you’ll likely be unable to catch yourself, which can lead to bigger bruises and more serious injuries. Fortunately, Aaron even has a graceful technique to prevent falling. As soon as you start to wobble, “quickly touch your knees to bring your weight back over your toes.” Most importantly, don’t let fear get in the way of fun. “The falls and sliding across the ice—it’s always a challenge,” says Aaron, “but enjoy the journey you’re on!”Photo courtesy of U.S. Figure Skating (2014 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships).Read about ice-skating tricks and trivia:Five Ice-Skating Tricks for Beginners The History (and Science!) of Ice Skating, in Five Facts